The Ring
by calladragon
Summary: A short story dealing a couple of things that bothered me - namely that ring and how Lisbon and Jane got past his interefering with her job enough for them to continue working and building a life together.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Loved the Series Finale. I don't think there's any question the show ended the way I wanted.

While I think Heller handled that whole ring issue in a way that almost made Lisbon's suffering worthwhile, I still think Jane was a selfish you-know-what for not realizing that ring on his finger was hurting his lover. At the very least, he should have explained his reasoning long before he did. As for Lisbon, she should have yanked his chain from the start. Not necessarily made him lose the ring; just talked about it and how it made her feel.

As I've said before, that ring bugged the crap out of me almost as much as Pike did so I pulled the same trick I did when I wrote Insanity. I vented in a mindless OS a couple of episodes before Vegas death and never posted it. I'm happy I got at least a little bit of Jane's reasoning behind wearing that ring right. As nuts as that might sound, being able to read that character even a little bit makes me feel like I've accomplished something.

I'm hoping posting stupid little things will get my Muse to crawl out from under her rock and back to writing the AU stories I've seemingly abandoned. Not the case. I just found it too difficult to write things totally contradictory to what was happening on the show for some crazy reason. Now that the series is over, I'm hoping that's changed. ~Calla

#

Watching Cho holding his own against Jane across the pool table, Lisbon ignored the quizzical looks her Boss kept shooting her way. He noticed far too much. Like something was off since their last case…obviously nothing big since she and Jane were still working well together. However, in spite of that, they weren't quite right. All she could say was Dennis needed to get his nose out of her business and back on his own. While Jane's machinations were holding the wolves at bay for the moment, there were no guarantees it was smooth sailing from now until his wife's Confirmation. Or even after for that matter. A man like Abbott made a lot of frenemies along the way and that wasn't counting the honest to goodness enemies hiding in the wings.

Taking a sip of beer, Lisbon moved her attention to the heated dart game well underway between Wylie and Vega. Watching those two was like watching a couple of wriggling puppies wrangling to be top dog and it was about as cute. So far, she thought Vega was winning. Wylie was too far gone to realize he was totally whipped. Vega was too oblivious to realize she was whipping anyone. They were having a blast playing together.

They were also reminding her too much of Rigsby and Van Pelt in the early days.

Damn, she missed the rest of her team.

She even missed Fischer. They'd become pretty good friends. Close enough she might have discussed some of her issues with Jane in a roundabout way. Not admitted to their changed relationship, just groused as partners were wont to do. Not that she was stupid enough to believe that everyone that was anyone in their lives didn't know she and Jane were an item even if she tried to pretend otherwise. Who was she fooling? The whole bloody FBI knew. So what? As long as nobody came right out and said it, she didn't have to admit it.

"You okay?" Lisbon turned at the sound of Abbott's voice to see him taking the seat beside her. "You're usually out there showing the boys how it's done."

"Just tired." Lisbon responded turning her attention back to the "boys" in time to see Cho get that upper hand he wouldn't have for long given the predatory gleam in Jane's eye. "That last case was a wringer."

It didn't help she hadn't slept well the two nights since. A lonely bed tended to do that do her.

"Yes, it was; but, everything worked out in the end." Abbott agreed rising to his feet. "Largely thanks to Jane. He's a good man and he cares about you. Don't be too hard on him for wanting to keep you safe."

Lisbon rolled her eyes as Abbott headed towards the pool tables. Damn it, not Abbott, too. Did everyone see through Jane's little trick? She hoped not. If they did, they needed to keep it to themselves. She didn't need to hear their two cents right now. Not when she'd told a certain someone they needed a night or two to sort things through…both of them. She needed some down time to get over being pissed and he needed to rethink his actions. It didn't matter they were meeting up for dinner at her place tomorrow night. Seeing Jane at work was hard enough without advice from the Peanut Gallery. She knew she shouldn't have come tonight; but, it wasn't like she had much of a choice. She'd never bailed on a case closed celebration and she wouldn't start now even if she wanted to. It would raise too many questions she didn't want asked.

As much as she hated to admit it, Abbott was right. Jane did care about her. Perhaps too much and that was the problem. How he'd gone about showing the depth of his affections made her livid. Shaking her head, Lisbon admitted what angered her the most wasn't even his stupidity at the hotel. It was something entirely different like the fact Jane loved her enough to interfere with her work; but, not enough to remove the visible mark of another woman's ownership from around his finger. It bothered her more than it probably should since she'd never expected him to remove it anyway.

She'd also never expected to share his bed or come to realize having her body filled with his changed everything.

However, just because she was having certain issues didn't mean she didn't get it. She did. The same way she got most everything to do with Jane. But, "getting it" didn't mean it was right. Admitting Jane was still tangled up with his late wife this far into their relationship was more painful than she'd expected. It couldn't be any other way. That they'd ever exchanged "I love you's" and acknowledge their relationship to "family" was nothing short of a miracle considering Angela still haunted the periphery.

Sometimes she thought she was stupid to have let things go so far under the circumstances. Most of the time she just thought she was happier than she'd ever been so, while things were far from perfect, she was letting sleeping dogs lie. It seemed everyone in the know felt the same. They'd both been told not to mess this up. That other people could clearly see what they felt for each other didn't hurt in the reassurance department.

Besides, she was doing a fairly good job of sweeping her feelings under the rug for now thanks to that "reasonable" part of her that always "understood" no matter the Jane challenge. Snorting softly, Lisbon admitted she was getting fed up with that part of her. The one that always had a litany of viable excuses to handle situations uniquely Jane like the fact he'd worn that ring long enough for it to be a part of him. Yeah, whatever, that didn't silence the _other_ part of her whispering there were times when she felt like the other woman in their bed. There was also no denying Jane frequently used that ring as an emotional barrier to hold others at bay including her. She suspected he was still doing that to a certain degree in spite of their intimacies. She couldn't really be angry at him when there were times when she did the same.

Not when she was holding out hope that band would disappear when they passed some magical milestone lurking in Jane's head.

Deciding now wasn't the best time for hopping down unpleasant bunny trails; Lisbon calmed herself by recalling her last conversation with Jimmy and Stan. She'd made them a promise that day. A promise keeping her from reacting in the knee jerk way she wanted to. It wasn't every day one of her lovers got a Lisbon Brother seal of approval much less all three. If Jimmy and Stan weren't enough, Tommy had called soon after to remind her he felt the same. His call couldn't have come at a more expedient time since she'd been seriously contemplating ending it all. Now, she didn't feel the same.

While she wasn't willing to deal with Jane manipulating her work, she wasn't ready to throw in the towel yet either. However, that didn't mean her lover could continually pull the kind of stunts he just had. She was an FBI Agent. Putting her life on the line came with the territory. Jane didn't have the right to protect her at the risk of another Agent. While he hadn't done that yet, if she allowed him to continue as he'd started, that time would come. He needed to stop the stupidity before he did something they'd both regret.

If Jane couldn't deal with that…Well, as hard as the idea was to get her mind around…Maybe they needed some down time until he rethought his stance. Not that she seriously expected that to happen. Maybe for a day or two as they'd just done; but, any longer, probably not. Now that she had him, she wasn't letting go and Jane felt the same.

However, that didn't mean she wouldn't verbally kick his ass if he persisted in his foolishness. She'd done it before. She could do it again.

Setting her empty bottle aside, Lisbon glanced at Jane busily purchasing a second round of drinks. Watching him stuff a few bills in his pocket, she hoped Cho hadn't lost too much. Knowing him, she seriously doubted it. Kimball knew Jane too well to get taken to the cleaners. He wouldn't have bet more than he was comfortable losing. Settling back in her chair, she smirked as the Agent tossed a few bills on the table before starting a new game with Abbott. Though Dennis was a passable player, her money was on Cho.

Turning her attention back to where Jane was leaning on the bar, she knew he'd make a beeline in her direction with their beers in hand once the order was ready. Their server could see to getting the beers to the rest of the party. He was more interested in seeing to her. Not sure how she felt about giving up her quiet time, Lisbon knew she didn't have a whole lot of choice in the matter.

When Jane decided she was done, she was done.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Even though I hit the Complete button when I was posting Chapter One, I didn't realize it didn't take. So, I guess that means I'm exchanging a silly OS for a Two. ~Calla

#

Staring at the two bottles sitting on the bar, Jane contemplated his next move. From the look in Lisbon's eyes, she knew he was crashing her space. How she felt about that was anyone's guess. He wasn't quite sure by the look on her face. While they had a dinner date after work tomorrow, he wasn't stupid enough to think that meant she wanted personal interaction today. He doubted he'd get much in the way of "personal interaction" tomorrow either. Not considering Lisbon was still angry with him.

A good meal and some passable company…he could see that happening…anything more…not likely.

Well, he wasn't sure he wanted that anything more right now anyway. Yes, he was, and he did. He was a man and he loved her. But, lusting after his lover didn't change the fact he wasn't too happy with her either. Lisbon wasn't being all that reasonable at the moment. Not all things considered. She wasn't even trying to see things his way. Or understand where he was coming from. If she was she wouldn't be so stubborn.

She'd meet him halfway; but, she wasn't.

Jane conveniently forgot he wasn't exactly meeting her half way either. Lisbon was determined to remain a cop and he was determined she wasn't. If he had his way, she'd hand in her two weeks notice and they'd hit the road. There were some pretty jamming places to see this time of year. But, he doubted that was going to happen. He knew it wasn't. They were staying exactly where they were and he might as well get used to it. To that and the fact they both had pretty irrational fears neither of them were willing to part with. Ones like Lisbon was scared of losing the only identity she'd ever had and he was scared of losing her to that identity. Literally.

Personally, he thought it was enough he'd almost lost her to Pike without all the rest.

He'd come too close in fact. Close enough he'd made a fool of himself in public. Not that he hadn't done that before, he had. Just never to get the girl. Oh, and he'd gotten the girl all right. Lisbon had nearly killed him before they ever left Islamorada. Not that he was complaining. There had been a lot of pent up passion in both of them.

What had turned him on his ear was the one thing he couldn't ignore.

The desperation of the moment made it crystal clear they were moving way too fast for him. While he'd known he loved Lisbon, was madly in love with her, he'd yet to make a single plan for keeping the girl. While not that big of a deal on cases where he excelled at pulling rabbits out of hats in the nick of time, flying blind in his current situation wasn't nearly as tenable.

One wrong move could cost him everything and that wasn't a thought he could handle.

While he might not know exactly where Lisbon fit into his existence beyond sharing his heart and his bed, he couldn't imagine living his life without her. He'd been through that hell a couple of times already and he didn't like it. Not one bit. Watching a bead roll down the long necked bottle, Jane rethought his stance. Maybe he had an inkling of what he wanted from Lisbon. Of where she fit beyond what they currently had. Maybe it would be more truthful to say he was clueless if he was ready for such a thing and, if he was, he was equally clueless about going about getting it given their current impasse. Maybe that made more sense.

He thought it did.

Glancing at Lisbon one last time, Jane motioned for Casey to pour him a stiff Bourbon. While mixing alcohols might not be the smartest move, he needed something stronger than a beer before he cornered the lioness in her den. Taking the glass in hand, he took a healthy slug before setting the half empty drink back on the bar. As reluctant as he was to admit such a thing, Lisbon had proven more difficult to read once they became intimate. She was doing and saying things he never saw coming. She'd always maintained he didn't know her as well as he thought and he'd always proven her wrong. Now she kept changing the game and proving him wrong. He wasn't sure he liked it; but, he did find those occasions she genuinely surprised him refreshing.

It was rare that anyone got one over on him and Lisbon was proving herself more adept than most.

What he didn't like was how recent events were making him feel. Like the nightmare could happen again. He'd come too close to losing Lisbon when that jail break went awry. They'd both known the truth even if she'd tried to pretend it wasn't that bad. Just another day on the job. Who was she trying to fool? She'd be pushing up daisies if he hadn't pulled a Jane stunt that could have gotten them both killed. If that wasn't enough, the last murderous psycho was almost more than they could handle. It wouldn't have taken much for things to turn really bad.

That hadn't happened so he wasn't going there.

Draining his glass and peeling off enough money to settle his tab, Jane grabbed the two beers before walking across the room to slide into the secluded booth beside Lisbon without bothering to ask her permission. Watching her stiffen at his audacity he proferred her favorite beer to restore the peace. Lifting a brow in disbelief Lisbon silently conveyed, while she'd accept the beer, she wasn't that easy.

He was still tops on her **it list and booze wasn't changing that.

"You look like hell." Jane said softly.

"Don't let it bother you." Taking a hearty drag from her bottle, Lisbon ignored his presence.

"Don't be this way." Jane stroked her arm not caring if anyone saw him. In fact, he was pretty sure Cho was doing just that: watching his every move. If he didn't miss his guess, Abbott was doing the same. "I've already said I'm sorry."

"Yeah, and you negated it by saying you'd do it all over again." Lisbon reminded him.

"I did say that." Jane agreed. "And I probably would."

"What do you want me to say?" Lisbon asked. "That it's okay for you to interfere with my work?"

"I know that isn't going to happen." Jane lifted his bottle to his lips trying to ignore the way her eyes involuntarily went to his finger.

He'd have to be a fool not to see Lisbon's pique went a lot deeper than just his desire to keep her safe. Although she hadn't said a word, she'd been staring at his ring a lot lately when she thought he wasn't looking. Unfortunately, due to the man he was and the life he'd led, he had eyes in the back of his head. He'd noted those stares weren't exactly happy and sensed another cloud forming on the horizon.

One he intended to ignore as long as he could.

It wasn't like she hadn't come to his bed with the ring on his finger. It wasn't like she'd said anything then or since. She hadn't. Just had those moody moments when he'd read the thoughts in her head. While he knew wearing his wedding band wasn't fair to Lisbon, he wasn't ready to give it up. Not just because of the memories. Because he'd been wearing the band so long he felt naked and vulnerable without it. Because somewhere along the way, it had become a part of him. Because he'd never have met his future without the past it represented. Because, deep inside, the man he used to be would never forget the life he used to have or the wife and child who'd inhabited it.

If Lisbon believed differently, she was in for a rude surprise. But, she wasn't because she wasn't that kind of woman. She'd proven that time and again.

She didn't expect him to forget his slain wife and child and she didn't expect him to stop loving them. She did expect him to move on which he had to a certain degree. He'd moved on enough to tell her he loved her. He'd moved on enough to take her to his bed. He'd moved on enough to start building a tenuous life with her. He'd moved on enough to indicate he saw them together for years to come. He'd moved on enough to be surprised and elated when she'd admitted to loving him.

He just hadn't moved on enough to give her what she truly wanted…The damned ring off his finger.

While he couldn't give her that, he could throw Lisbon a pretty substantial crumb…One meaningful enough to smooth things over until he figured out how to make things right….

"How about I promise not to pull any more stunts if you promise not to take unnecessary risks?" Jane ignored the snort conveying the only unnecessary risks she'd taken lately were his. "It's the best I can do."

"Don't make promises you won't keep." Lisbon rolled her bottle between her palms. "It'll only make things worse in the long run. You know I can't work with you if I can't trust you. I don't want that to happen."

"Neither do I." Jane agreed. "I'm not making promises I don't intend to keep so what do you say?"

"What do you want me to say?" Lisbon gave him the first real half smile he'd gotten in two days.

"How about you'll come home with me tonight after we show Abbott and Cho how it's done?" Jane watched her smile disappear and knew it wasn't because he'd suggested they hang out a little longer. It was because he'd suggested going to his place. Actually, it was their place since the only time Lisbon was at her place was when they weren't getting along which hadn't really happened before now. "Teresa, I'm not asking you to act like everything's all right between us and I'm certainly not asking you for sex. I'm asking you to let me hold you and get that good night's sleep that's eluded both of us for a couple of days. I don't think that's too much to ask."

Giving his words serious thought, Lisbon finally nodded her assent. "We can do that."

"Good." Jane stood up and drew her to her feet. "What do you say to that game? Cho and Abbott are expecting it."

"That we might as well get it done." Lisbon grabbed her half empty beer before halting Jane with her hand. "About the other, I'm trusting you won't let me down."

"I won't." Jane promised before signalling Cho they were coming to play.

Watching Abbott head from the bar towards the pool tables, Jane eyeballed his favorite cue hanging on the wall. Taking it from the holder, he watched Cho rack the balls as Lisbon silently finished her beer. Watching everyone assume their places, Jane realized he was as eager as the rest of their party to get things rolling. But, for entirely different reasons. While everyone including Lisbon were eager for the challenge, he was eager to finish so they could go.

It had been two days too long since Lisbon was home.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Originally meant to be a OS, this story will now be six chapters long if everything works out the way it's written in my head. ~Calla

#

"Crap."

She was buried nose deep without a shovel and no idea when, or if, that shovel was coming back.

He'd fled soon after Vega's funeral.

Not completely unexpected, Jane had taken their co-worker's death hard for a lot of reasons having little to do with her. That didn't mean he hadn't genuinely liked the girl. He had. They all had. But, that also didn't give him special privileges. If anyone deserved those, it was Wiley or Cho. Jane should have been a man and hung around. This wasn't his first rodeo. It was always hard to lose a team member. Especially one you liked. But he hadn't. While she'd forgiven him for that, she wasn't so sure about that other matter.

The one where he wasn't accepting her calls when he should be.

What else was new?

Leave it to Jane to disappear when she needed him most.

Like that life altering moment when she'd peed on a stick and watched the color change.

Not something she should be doing alone.

Snorting, Lisbon tossed the unwelcome beacon in the garbage and washed her hands before walking out the door without a backward glance. It wasn't like she was saving that disgusting thing for posterity. If Jane had a problem with evidence biting the dust, he should have been where he belonged when he belonged there. Not out there in the vast unknown getting his head on straight. Not when she was more concerned with determining her next move than coddling him when he finally came sniffing around again.

Not going to happen.

Truthfully, she wasn't even sure she was sharing any time soon. In fact, she was sure she wasn't. There wasn't any way in heaven or hell. Not after his latest stunt. Eventually, yes. She didn't have a whole lot of choice in the matter. For one thing, even if he was the biggest jackass she'd ever met, Jane had a right to know about his child. She couldn't keep that from him. Besides, it wasn't like he wouldn't know the score without her saying a word before too long.

Whether he wanted to know or not and she wasn't sure he did.

No, that wasn't true and she knew better.

However, the way things were going right now, she couldn't tell Jane if she wanted too. He was way too fond of the 'End' button. So, that being said, she was concentrating on more immediate dilemmas. One's like getting professional confirmation and discretely reading up on everything she needed to know to bring a baby Jane into the world.

It wasn't like she doubted her pregnancy. She didn't. She knew she was and it had nothing to do with that trusty home pregnancy test or any other physical signs she might or might not be noticing. It had everything to do with the undeniable fact she and Jane had been plain sloppy on more than one occasion. Not nearly as circumspect as she was with Marcus, or anyone else in her life, which was totally stupid under the circumstances. At least she'd known where she stood with Pike.

With Jane, not so much, and she never had.

While this little surprise would have fit right in with Marcus's master plan for their lives, she was clueless how Jane was going to handle the news. No, she wasn't. He'd roll with it like she was. It wasn't like either of them had a choice. Still, while she hadn't consciously wanted to get pregnant, she hadn't really cared. That wasn't exactly true either. She hadn't really thought about it. Being involved with Jane kept her pretty off kilter on a lot of fronts. He must have felt similarly or this wouldn't have happened. Jane wouldn't create a child with a woman he didn't want to be with.

He might be a lot of things; but, he wasn't that kind of man.

All she could say in their defense was things seemed meant to be from the start in spite of Jane's squirrely moments. Maybe she wasn't always convicted things were as right as she thought they were; but, she was confident things would work out in the end. She was a big girl. She could handle this with or without the father of her child. She hoped it wouldn't come to that. But, a lot was dependent on Jane.

On whether he came back and how he acted when he did.

The one thing she was sure of was she wasn't springing this on him right away. She was playing it by ear. She had a while to observe the lay of the land before anyone figured out the poochy belly didn't mean she was getting fact. They'd probably realize she was avoiding alcohol long before that happened. With any luck, everyone would be respectful enough to keep their observations to themselves. At least until the pieces fell in to place.

She hoped so.

She'd know soon enough if Jane was ready to be a Father or just the man who fathered their child.

She wouldn't force him either way.

#

Walking around the corner, Lisbon couldn't believe any of this was happening. Somehow saying he was sorry wasn't enough. Abbott shouldn't have let this happen. He shouldn't have let Jane go through this nightmare again. Like anyone could have stopped it once the ball was in motion. This was Jane she was talking about.

What they could do was a whole lot more than they were currently doing to get him back.

She couldn't lose Jane now.

Not when their lives were finely starting to fall into place for the first time. She was almost ready to tell him about their child. She'd almost done it a couple of times all ready except something was holding her back. Some feminine instinct she never knew she had. One that kept whispering there was a better time and a better place. She'd know it when she felt it. All she had to do was wait. Deciding to bow to the voice in her head, she'd kept her mouth shut.

Now, she had to make sure she got that better time and place and what she was hearing didn't reassure her.

It was making her want to shout, "You've got to be kidding me!" at the top of her lungs.

So what if their suspect was lawyering up? Come on! Some freaky monster with a blood fetish had Jane and Abbott was twiddling his thumbs? Yeah, so what if the Press was on this like a Megalodon on dino chum? Screw 'em. That shifty old fart in the Interrogation Room was hardly the President. Not that she'd give a flying fig if he was. That self righteous so-and-so was some low level college professor with questionable interests and they were afraid of him?

Right.

Uh huh.

She knew better.

That spark of life blossoming in her womb deserved to know his or her father and nothing was changing that. One way or another, the story ended here. She didn't care if she had to hang that idiot from the ceiling by his stinky toes and beat him like a piñata to get those names. She wasn't above doing that. If Dennis had a problem with her actions, he could get over it.

Or he could fire her.

Either way, she was so going in.

If it came down to it, she wasn't above pinning that holier-than-thou snooty bastard to the wall by his balls with a smile on her face and a gun in her hand.

Just watch her and see.

"Let me talk to him." Seeing the hesitancy in Abbott's eyes, she gave him her best Jane look.

The one saying if he didn't do as she asked she'd do it anyway and he wouldn't like it when she did.

"Okay."

Not needing to be told twice Lisbon slipped through the door thinking her boss was a really smart man.

#

Shaking her head as she grabbed the bag of sandwiches, Lisbon was still reeling from the events of the last couple of days and still mildly surprised Jane had actually bought this place. The last time they'd really talked, he'd been hell bent on taking the RV and making a break for it. The next thing she knew, he was showing her a shack in fairy land. Not really sure what to think, she'd given her honest opinion. The setting was about as perfect as anyone could get and still be reasonably close to Austin.

Her agreement was all it had taken to get his signature on the dotted line.

Well, that and a boatload of money. The house might not be much; but, the acreage hadn't come cheap. Twenty four acres with woods and a pond was prime real estate almost anywhere and Austin wasn't an exception. Lisbon didn't need to ask where he'd gotten the money for such a purchase. Although Jane had always hidden it well, she'd always suspected his substantial ill gotten gains were squirreled away for a rainy day.

It seemed she right.

Closing the SUV door, she made her way slowly towards the house. Watching Jane for a few minutes, she cleared her throat and asked him about his head. Satisfied he was bouncing back just fine, she let him know she'd brought lunch and followed him out the door. There was no way they were eating inside in a setting like this. Not when they could be outside studying the house and discussing future renovations.

Almost as excited as Jane at the prospect, Lisbon reached in the bag and nearly dropped her sandwich.

"You're not wearing your wedding ring."

The words slipped out before she could stop them.

"I'm not married."

He what?..That wasn't what she was expecting to hear….Neither was the man seriously droning on and on about slanty ground and optical illusions…He had some nerve...After dropping a bomb like that?...Well, two could play that game….

"Slanty, huh?"

She was a cucumber…Totally cool.

Jane could be the mess for a change….Right, it was all she could do not to rest her hand on her stomach in that age old gesture that betrayed all….The one that screamed, "I'm pregnant with your child and you don't know it."...Like Jane would miss that move. Not likely. He'd been a father before.

Well, she wasn't doing it even if she had to sit on her hands. Now wasn't the time to spill the beans. Not when Jane needed to talk about other things.

At the moment she was too busy trying to sift through that awkward, half-assed explanation for why he'd refused to part with his wedding band long before now. While she still wanted to pound him for being insensitive, his words made a twisted kind of sense. At the very least they were basically true…They wouldn't have met if he hadn't had that ring on his finger...Never had a wife and a daughter…Never lost said wife and daughter to a sadistic serial killer still on the loose…She couldn't argue with his logic even if she wanted to.

Looking up from the ring on her palm, Lisbon caught something about him wanting that band of gold to represent their future together and heard the words she wasn't expecting to hear.

Would she marry him?

What did he think?

He wasn't sure. The truth was shining from his eyes. Well, he had nothing to fear.

She smiled as the "okay" slipped past her lips without her bidding.

A few moments later she knew she'd given the right answer by the way they were both laughing and murmuring stupidly sweet things like the 'Thank you.' she almost missed.

For what?

Saying "yes"?

Like saying "no" would ever cross her mind.

Maybe she should thank him for finally manning up and doing what he should have done on that plane on Islamorada. Maybe she should; but she won't. Jane's head was big enough as it is. He didn't need to know she'd have given him the same answer back then.

What he did need to know was she's pregnant.

But, she'll save that for another day.

They're both too overwhelmed at the moment.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Guys, I'm having the time of my life at the moment. As of Saturday, I have adult chicken pox which I caught from my niece who had shingles. It wasn't expected nor unexpected since it isn't possible to know if I'd ever had chicken pox as a child. I had a severe allergic reaction to chocolate at the same time all of my friends had chicken pox when I was about 5 so the doctors couldn't tell if I was just having a nasty allergic reaction or a nasty allergic reaction plus chicken pox. Added to that, I took care of my Mom when she had a very severe case of shingles 20 years ago and was perfectly fine. So, you know the conclusion we all jumped to. Well, we were wrong! LOL. The upside is, while the nerve and joint pain isn't fun, the breakout isn't nearly as severe as it could be and I don't have any other complications. Praise God.

Anyways, I'm finishing this story to pass the time. I apologize if it isn't as good as it should be. I won't say I'm hitting on all cylinders at the moment!~Calla

#

Shaking his hands to restore the circulation, Jane glanced around the room deciding the best way to get things going. Ticking off the steps in his head, he efficiently moved about doing what had to be done. If everything went according to plan, he would be free and a very nasty threat neutralized in a matter of minutes.

Allowing his thoughts to wander, Jane decided Lisbon was right. Tork was a fool. While she hadn't said any such thing, she'd been thinking it. He could read it in her eyes and hear it in her voice. On second thought, Tork wasn't the fool. He was. For not listening when she'd advised against doing this. He wouldn't be in this mess if he hadn't.

But he had.

Even knowing how badly things turned out that first time. Now wasn't any better. Not yet. But, the game wasn't over and the story wasn't ending in a similar way. He wouldn't let that happen. There was no way he was losing what he'd waited years to have. Not when he was this close to having it all again.

Man, he liked the sound of that.

Having it all.

He just had to survive long enough to claim it.

The first thing he was doing when he did was make an offer on that little shack he'd shown Lisbon. The one he could turn into something special with some serious renovations from the blueprint in his head. The best part was he wouldn't have to change the character of the place at all. Not externally anyway. Just flesh out the interior, add a couple of additions, and make that house a home.

Lisbon would love the place as much as he did.

She'd also be shocked out of her mind he'd bought it. Not that she'd show it. Not her. She'd just quirk that brow as she said something like she was glad. He knew her too well. Yes, he'd mentioned the possibility in passing. But, she hadn't actually believed he would do it. The purchase wasn't a done deal so she hadn't known he was serious. It wouldn't be the first time he'd shown her a place then changed his mind.

But, in his defense, that was years ago and they hadn't been remotely together at the time.

He wasn't sure she realized how together they were now. If she did, she wouldn't question if he was coming back. She would know he always came back. Shaking that thought, Jane admitted Lisbon was right. It wasn't a done deal when he'd shown her the place. He was still toying with the idea of settling down and weighing his options. He'd found the setting beautiful and wanted a bead on how she'd feel about the place down the line. At that particular moment he'd still been at the Pros and Cons stage of analysis.

The biggest con had been, and still was, as long as he had the RV and little else in the way of responsibility he was free to head for the hills at the drop of a hat. Once he signed on the dotted line, his universe changed drastically. He was committing to far more than a money pit.

He hoped Lisbon realized the significance and knew she probably didn't.

While far from dumb, his lover tended not to see the happiness in front of her face. For some crazy reason, she always expected the worse while giving her best. At least where they were concerned. Maybe he'd given her reason to be that way. He had bailed quite a few times over the course of their relationship…Once for a couple of years…But, he'd always come back.

Surely by now she knew he always would.

Maybe she didn't. It was Lisbon he was talking about. He'd have to keep reassuring her. Maybe buying the house would go a long way towards doing that. Either way, he was pretty sure it was a done deal although he wasn't one hundred percent. Maybe he'd find something he liked better although he doubted it. That little piece of Heaven would be hard to duplicate especially considering he was already seeing the perfect remodel in his head.

Humming softly, Jane decided he was seeing a whole lot more…Try the life he hadn't had in years and never expected to have again…The one where he turned from the stove just in time to see his wife walking across the room on bare feet with their child in her arms…What a loving vision.

Jane smiled accepting, while it wasn't Angela or Charlotte Anne he saw, he was fine with the picture in his head.

Again, he simply had to survive long enough to get it.

Oh, and he should probably discuss the possibility of children with Lisbon before he did any fantasizing. While he knew she was good with them, he wasn't sure she wanted any of her own and he wasn't forcing them on her. Even Pike hadn't been positive they were going there. So, he wasn't taking it for granted she did if he did. It wasn't a deal maker or breaker either way. He wasn't even sure how he felt beyond probably willing if she was.

Anyways, he'd day dreamed long enough.

He had to finish getting the place set up before Keller came back. Good thing he was almost done and could handle multi-tasking. He'd been turning on gas and fiddling with light bulbs while lost in thought. Looking at his handiwork one last time, Jane nodded before making his way back to his chair. His hour was almost up and he was sure Keller was watching the time to the second so he had to be careful. It wouldn't do to get caught wandering about free and clear. There was no telling how Fruit Loop Two would react if he caught him messing around back there. Well, he had an idea or two; but, he refused to go there.

Knowing Fruit Loop One was grinning at him through desiccated lips from behind closed doors was bad enough without contemplating the stuff nightmares were made of.

Settling in his chair and refastening his chains, Jane sent up a silent thanks in his head for quick thinking and disgruntled customers. The snarky wench with the infestation problem might have saved the day without ever knowing it. At the very least, she'd given him the precious time he needed to discover how best to win Keller's confidence and mess with his head.

He'd never have gotten that vital hour if she hadn't called.

Still in disbelief at being left alone so long for a second time, Jane calmly turned as the door swung open behind him. It wouldn't do to betray his anxiety. Keller would realize something was up. He couldn't afford to let that happen.

"He's here."

Seeing Keller's obvious confusion, Jane put on his best psychic face.

"He came back while you were gone."

That dim bulb was starting to flicker.

"He wants to talk to you."

Keller was going in that room with Daddy Dearest if he had to kick him in there….

"You can go in nor not. It's up to you."

Good boy...

Tossing the chains aside, Jane dived for the door knowing the place was going up in a blaze of glory any second now….

#

Sitting on the examination table waiting for the nurse to bring his release papers, Jane stared at the ring on his finger and decided he couldn't do this anymore. Try to delude himself into believing he would ever walk away from the woman he loved. He couldn't. Danger had always come with the territory. None of that had suddenly changed because they were sleeping together.

He just perceived their lives differently now.

Glancing at his watch, Jane slid from the table. He had to find that nurse and get out of here. If he didn't he'd be late for a very important date. Lucy was expecting to give her last sales pitch in forty five minutes. She knew he was still on the fence for personal reasons. But, she was ready to give it the old Girl Scout try. Who knew? Maybe she'd succeed in selling him something a lot more substantial than a few boxes of delicious, but overpriced, sweets.

He was sure she was counting on it.

Hearing the curtain part, Jane looked up in time to see an attractive blonde standing with clipboard in hand. Obviously his dark haired nurse had gotten side tracked by another patient which explained the delay. Taking the offered papers, he signed each page without bothering to read them before handing the clipboard back to the girl. He didn't care what they said. Not when the FBI was taking care of everything anyway.

What he did care about was getting a move on so he wouldn't be late.

Waving his final good-bye, Jane made his way out of the labyrinth and left the Emergency Room. Exiting the sliding glass doors, he headed for Lisbon's SUV. Cho had swung by to get her once she was satisfied he was perfectly fine except for a slight concussion and mild ringing in his ears. He'd been happy to let her go although she'd have much rather stay. Lisbon had a ton of paperwork to complete and he had plans that didn't include her.

Not at the moment anyway.

Turning onto the main drag out of town, Jane's eye was caught by the gleam of gold encircling his finger. As easy as it should be to simply slide that band into oblivion, it wasn't. Not easy at all. He'd worn it much too long.

The damned thing had become a part of him and it signified so much…Far more than just a means to dissuade attractive women from hitting on him...Or the deterrent to intimacy Lisbon seemed to think it was.

It was a reminder of the milestone in his life.

Touching the band, Jane gave a wistful smile as he recalled the day Angela slid it on his hand. He might have been young; but, he wasn't stupid. He'd known that was single the most important moment in his life to date. It was also the day his life really began.

He hadn't been wrong.

Just as he wasn't wrong the night he'd come home a few years later to find a bloody smiley face on his wall and his life effectively over.

Flipping his turn signal, Jane's mind jumped to another day. One when he'd gone to work with a dark haired enigma who hadn't trusted him as far as she could throw him. In spite of the compassion she bore him. Lisbon was right and she'd known it.

He was trouble with a capitol "T".

It hadn't taken Jane long to figure out she was the same. As determined as he'd been to have his vengeance or die trying, Lisbon had been equally determined to save him. Somewhere in time, the dynamics between them changed. Oh, he'd still wanted vengeance, and he was going have it. Just not at the cost of his life or imprisonment.

He'd decided he'd rather have his cake and eat it, too.

So, he'd twisted things to make that happen and spent the next couple of years deciding exactly what Teresa Lisbon meant to him. That and how far he was willing to go. He'd almost figured it out when Pike came on the scene to monkey wrench everything. If he'd been displeased by that blip of intimacy with Mashburn a few back, he wasn't replaying those months in his head. They hurt way too much.

However, to his credit, he'd done his best to bow out even if he'd failed in the end.

Wiggling his finger, Jane realized his ring symbolized the cycle of his life…past, present, and future. ..Without it and everything it signified, he'd never have met Lisbon…Never found the woman who'd changed his perceptions…Never started living again…Pulling himself from his thoughts, Jane pulled in beside his Realtor's car and opened his door.

If things went his way, the next chapter in that cycle would start today.

#

Staring at his finger in disbelief, Jane couldn't believe Lisbon didn't get it. Buying the house should have laid the last of her fears to rest. It should have signified they were truly together. That he was here to stay. But it hadn't. Not to her. She still sought reassurance he was as committed to their relationship as she was which he'd gladly given. She'd also asked if the renovation meant he was leaving the FBI.

He'd told her the truth.

All of that had been bad enough without what came next. Without her asking if he was going to remove his ring. He hadn't expected her to go there. He really hadn't. In spite of the covert glances, he'd thought they'd gotten past that situation. That she truly understood why he still wore it. Apparently he was wrong. His ring was bothering her more than he'd realized. Maybe it was a woman thing.

He honestly didn't know.

Yeah, maybe he did, and it wasn't. Maybe he was being the selfish SOB she'd frequently accused him of being over the course of the Red John years. Maybe she was right. He didn't want to remove his ring for personal reasons. Even knowing it hurt his partner. Maybe that needed to change and maybe the sooner the better. It wasn't like he could wear two rings on that finger anyways.

Whoa, where did that thought come from?

Perhaps from the part of him that was truly sane and rational. The part reminding him he'd already bought a house and imagined them a family complete with a Baby Jane. It wasn't like he'd suggest such a thing to the woman in his life without marrying her. He wouldn't offer her less than he'd given Angela. He couldn't. Lisbon meant every bit as much to him as his late wife had. Not that he'd make such a request any time soon. He wouldn't. It would only confuse matters more than they already were. Besides, it was Lisbon he wanted, not the children she might give him.

Mind made up, Jane plucked his ring from his finger before he lost his nerve. Dropping the band on his palm, he resisted the urge to slam it back in place as he did his best to ignore the sudden loss welling within him. Stuffing the ring in his pocket without looking at it, he grabbed his cell and waited for Lisbon to pick up. With any luck she'd be able to get away soon.

Leaving his message, he tossed the phone aside.

Now all he could do was wait and mull over what he was going to say when she finally got here. Since he didn't have a clue, he might as well keep working while he did. At least he'd accomplish something. Looking up a good while later, Jane realized Lisbon hadn't bothered calling him back. He also realized he wasn't alone anymore. In fact, the sound of a car door closing was what had drawn him from his reverie in the first place. If he didn't miss his guess, Lisbon would be bounding around the corner any time now.

"How's your head?"

Yep, definitely Lisbon cutting straight to the chase in a very Lisbon like manner.

"It's fine…."

Lisbon wasn't the only one who could cut to the chase. If he didn't miss his guess, she'd brought his favorite sandwiches. Taking the bag, Jane led them outside confident his woman would follow. They'd have plenty of time for small talk once they stuffed their faces. Right now he was much too hungry to chat.

Even if Lisbon felt differently.

She didn't seriously think he'd buy a slanty shack?

He wasn't stupid. He was carney. He knew better than that. Building was in his blood. Quaintness aside, the structure was sound. If it wasn't, he wouldn't be renovating it. He'd raise it and start from scratch. It wasn't like he couldn't afford to do either or both.

"You're not wearing your wedding ring."

He'd wondered how long it would take her to notice. For an FBI Agent, Lisbon wasn't as observant as she should be. Or as she used to be. She'd have noticed much sooner a few years back. Maybe being involved had dulled her senses where he was concerned. Maybe she'd just been trying to ignore his ring finger.

"I'm not married."

Where had that come from? The sentence had just tripped off his tongue subconsciously and he'd kept on running. He sounded like an idiot babbling about slanting ground and optical illusions. Why couldn't he just say he'd finally realized it felt right to take it off?

Because that was way too simple, that's why.

He'd rather continue with some asinine long winded explanation that went around his elbow to get to this thumb and ended with him awkwardly asking Lisbon to marry him….

He what?

Not what he meant to do.

Well, he did, just not like that and not right now.

He'd hoped to be a whole smoother; but, what the hell?

She'd said "okay" when she could have said "no".


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry for the delay. Between Chicken Pox and a big event at work last week, I haven't had much time to write. I thought this story would end at 6 chapters. As usual, my Muse doesn't want to stick to the plan. This story will be probably 8, but no more than 10, chapters long. We'll see how events play out.

Thank you for the well wishes on my illness and thank you for the reviews. They both mean a lot to me! Mostly thank you for enjoying this random bit of silliness.~Calla

#

Sitting at her desk staring at her finger, Lisbon realized things had changed and changed drastically in the blink of an eye. They'd gone from ambiguity to commitment out of the blue and, based on what Jane had said, she'd have that rock on her finger before too long to prove it. Not that any of that was necessary.

They were already about as bound as two people could get even if her other half didn't know it.

Shaking her head, Lisbon wondered when things had gotten so complicated. No, she didn't. She knew exactly when that happened…On Islamorada when she'd let her heart overrule her common sense…What woman in her right mind gave up a sure shot at happiness for some half-assed promise of paradise that might never come?...Her, that's who, and she'd do it all over again.

There was just something about Jane that made her a little crazy and he always had.

An indefinable something best left at "complicated". Not that this _thing_ between them hadn't always been complicated. It had been and it still was. It just hadn't been personal. That wasn't right either. They'd been _personal_ almost from the start. There'd been something about wounded Jane making her want to save him and there'd been something about her urging him to drive her insane. Somewhere in the midst of the madness the very natural trust and friendship developing between them over the years morphed into something far more dangerous.

Something they'd both refused to recognize.

Closing her eyes, Lisbon recalled the shadow in Jane's eyes over the Mashburn incident. While she hadn't regretted her actions, she'd regretting hurting her friend. He'd felt much the same over Lorelei when their reactions were reversed. Truthfully, she'd almost not forgiven him that transgression even though she'd understood why he'd done what he did. That whole love declaration he'd denied hadn't helped matters between them. The fact she couldn't hold a grudge against him did.

Anyways life had eventually gone on with little change between them.

Oh, their circumstances had changed drastically with Jane's exhile and the CBI's rapid demise; but, the bond between them hadn't. Not until they'd reconvened at the FBI and things hadn't really changed then. Not in any way they'd been willing to acknowledge. In fact, she'd seemingly moved on leaving Jane in the dust. Any inklings they'd had their feelings went far deeper than best friends and partners was rudely shoved under the rug never to see the light of day until push came to shove one night on a case in the Florida Keys.

The rest, as they say, was history and she had the quickening womb letting the world know exactly how much push had come to shove even if she hadn't gotten pregnant that night.

Resting her hand on her stomach, Lisbon admitted she was happy in spite of any fears she might harbor concerning Jane's reaction to slipping up. She didn't think he'd mind once he got his mind around the idea of being a father again. That didn't mean he wouldn't resent not having some alone time to enjoy each other before they expanded their family. She'd resented that herself initially. Not in a bad way. She wanted this baby, she truly did. She'd have just preferred the happy moment a little farther down the road like say in a year or so. Then again, while that was true, if either of them had been all that concerned about this happening they'd have prevented it.

That they hadn't spoke volumes about subconscious desires clearly bubbing beneath the surface.

However true that might be, it didn't change the fact she needed to tell Jane she was pregnant and she needed to do it soon. Keeping secrets was violating the honesty clause she'd worked so hard to beat into his head and this was a really big one. How could she call him on the carpet for lying to her or abandoning ship in highly stressful moments when what she was doing was just as bad? Maybe worse. She needed to come clean and she needed to do it now. But, she couldn't.

Not yet for several reasons.

The biggest, in spite of her reassurances of a few moments ago, she really didn't know how he'd feel about the news when she sprung it on him. He wouldn't bolt. They were way past that now. He just might not be too happy for a while which wasn't the best way to start a marriage. Then again, he'd asked her to marry him so the thought of offspring sometime down the road had to have crossed his mind. That was the natural order of things. However, she doubted he'd given the thought any real consideration or decided how he felt about it. She hadn't. They'd been too busy trying to figure out how their lives meshed together to really think about any such thing. They certainly hadn't discussed it.

Well, that was about to change and soon.

Going mushy over Van Pelt's brood was one thing. Jane didn't have much of a choice considering how close they all were. Besides, once he'd gotten past the expected bittersweet emotions accompanying Benjamin's birth, he'd had to adore him or she'd have killed him somewhere along the way. By the time Maddie came around, his affections were genuine. Oh, and while everyone had noticed Jane's beaming smile holding Sandy's kid at the cookout back home, his positive response didn't make him the poster child for impending fatherhood as much as she wanted to believe otherwise. She knew better. Jane could have just been thinking Dani was cute and he wouldn't be wrong. That kid was a heartbreak waiting to happen. However, given the personal "situation" he'd yet to learn about, Jane didn't have a whole lot of choices at this point, regardless of how he might feel.

They were having this kid and that was that.

Absently resting her hand over her belly, Lisbon considered the more pertinent reason she hadn't told Jane yet. Mainly, in spite of how things looked, they weren't positive Junior was dead. The DNA results weren't back yet. In her experience, the longer it took the less promising it was they'd get the answer they wanted. So, that being said, it was probable they still had a serial killer with an ax to grind on the loose.

Not what she wanted to hear at this juncture.

Not when it meant she needed a little wiggle room in case the news wasn't good. It also meant sharing her secret was out for the moment. If she announced her pregnancy, Jane would go ballistic in that bull headedly overprotective, insanely manipulative way he'd mastered over the years. She wasn't about to let that happen. If Keller was still running around on the loose gunning for her kid's daddy, she intended to be waiting and watching for him gun in hand.

Not hiding out somewhere supposedly safe and out of the fray.

There was no way in Heaven or Hell she was raising Jane's kid on her own. She wouldn't wish that on any woman. When he or she started with the all the pseudo-psychic crap she'd figured out a long time ago was far from pseudo-anything, she wasn't the one dealing with it. Woo-woo stuff was Jane's bailiwick and it he could handle it. She definitely wasn't. Right now she was more concerned with making a misstep landing her at a desk when she needed to be in the field than anything else which could very well happen the way things were going. Nothing was really working according to plan at the moment. Not a single thing.

Their desire to keep their nuptials private had already fallen through largely thanks to her family. Well, to her actually since she'd never been able to say "no" to her brothers. Jimmy and Stan were accomplished wheedlers and guilt mongers. Tommy wasn't so bad himself which was why she was glad he was in Alaska on business. If he wasn't she'd probably be getting married in the family cathedral surrounded by lots of family and friends the majority of whom she hadn't spoken to, much less seen, in years.

Not going to happen.

It was bad enough getting married at Abbott's place surrounded by a handful of family, co-workers, and friends. She and Jane were both private people. Neither of them wanted any pomp and circumstance. In fact, they'd asked not to have it. But since when had things worked out like they wanted? Rarely, that's when. What was making it worse was she had to buy a dress now. The nice suit she'd planned on wearing wasn't going to cut it.

So, she'd been poring over bridal magazines; but, they weren't helping much either. She had no idea where to begin or what she even wanted. She'd dog-eared a few pages here and there for consideration; but, she didn't really like any of it. What made her situation worse was she didn't have a gal pal to ease her burden. Van Pelt would be the obvious answer since she knew her tastes. However, she was in Sacramento so anything they did would have to be done by Internet. Since that sounded like more of a hassle than it was worth, Grace was out. Fischer was long gone. There was Judy in Cyber Crimes; but, they weren't really that close. Not really. Not close enough for this anyway.

Sharing lunch a couple of times a month didn't qualify as BFF's in her book.

The obvious solution to her problem was Jane. He'd presented her with several beautiful dresses on Islamorada just her style. However, her fiancé was the last person she could go to under the circumstances. He wasn't supposed to see her dress before the wedding. Since she wasn't about to break tradition, he was out too. If it came down to the wire, which it likely would, she could show Jane the pictures catching her eye and consider his recommendations.

It wasn't like he'd know which dress she finally chose until he saw it.

Yes, he would. He was Jane. He read her like an open book…The conniving, carney bastard…Always throwing monkey wrenches in her plans…Since that seemed almost as bad as having him choose her dress for her, the magazine scenario was her last resort. Before she did anything so disgusting, she was approaching the one person who'd known her even longer than Jane…Her go-to guy since her earliest days at the CBI…From what she'd seen lately, Cho's taste was almost as good as Jane's. If she asked nicely he'd probably give her a hand and he wouldn't b.s. to make her feel better. Kimball wasn't wired that way.

In fact, if she had to put her finger on the single thing making Cho so effective an Interrogator, she'd say it was that. The man was a no-nonsense, cut the crap, what-you- see-is-what-you-get solid wall of Kimball Cho. Pretty damned scary in her opinion.

Unless you were her and he was just Cho.

Deciding she wasn't taking no for an answer, not that she thought he'd say that anyway, Lisbon headed around the corner confident she had her solution in hand.

#

Two hours into the search from hell, Lisbon contemplated letting her little parasite do its thing and puking on somebody's shoe. If the sunny sales chick brought her one more gown that was nothing like what she wanted, she just might go for it. Studying the short, low cut number more appropriate to a night club than the wedding aisle, Lisbon dismissed the garment with a disdainful snort. She didn't need Cho to tell her she looked like a slutty elf to get the drift if she wore this thing at her wedding.

Honestly, she hadn't thought anything could top that shimmering pink and silver monstrocity giving Van Pelt's bridesmaid's dress a run for its money. But, her "Assistant" had proudly proven her wrong. It would serve Jane right if she turned up for their nuptials looking like a Cotton Candy colored Sno Cone. She could see his face now…Yep, priceless…And he'd deserve it considering the crap he'd pulled over the years…Fortunately, she had more self respect than that…She wasn't making herself a laughing stock to get back at Jane.

Turning back to Cho, Lisbon gave him a helpless look hoping he'd figure out some way to get through to Carrie or Carley or CoCo…Whatever…She was obviously doing a poor job from her offerings…Hearing Cho's succinct order and commanding tone, Lisbon silently seconded him and wondered why she hadn't figured that out on her own. It wasn't rocket science.

Something off white, clean lined, vintage, and simple….

What could be more perfect?

Unfortunately, from the imaginary light bulb popping on in Carley's head, she was in for another round of trying on dresses. Not sure whether to kiss Cho or kill him, Lisbon prayed under her breath that they found the One before too long. She was almost ready to say to hell with it all, shove a few glossies under Jane's nose, and let him take his pick. So what if he knew what her wedding dress looked like? He'd probably enjoy it. Besides, he was most likely selecting most of her dresses from here on out anyway.

While she'd gladly wear them to make him happy, she wasn't going through this crap on a regular basis.

She'd make sure of that.

#

Listening to Jane gripe over paperwork, Lisbon shushed him and signed on the dotted line. If he thought he was reneging on that proposal, he had another think coming. Not going to happen so he might as well get over it. He was almost as negative as the Clerk helping them. No wonder the divorce rate was sky high. Sour pusses like her and Jane tainted the procedure from the start. Kicking him lightly on the ankle to shut him up, Lisbon decided the paperwork wasn't that bad or maybe she was just used to it. Jane, on the other hand, was not. He'd always managed to shirk doing his fair share over the years and she shouldn't have let him get away with it.

His fingers weren't put on backwards now were they?

"You know, I could just give you the ring and we could elope."

Do what?

"Don't be mean." Did she seriously just hip bump her fiancé in the Clerk of Court's office? What was she, twelve? "No take-backs."

Yep, that sounded real adult, too; but, Jane was getting on her last nerve and, oh, no, no, no they weren't running away to Fiji as tempting as the idea was.

"People are coming." Her tone was getting firmer by the minute. "And we're getting married, damn it."

She didn't need to add the "Got it?" to the end.

"Suit yourself." Jane wondered how long it was going to take his pink cheeked bride-to-be to process the rest of what he'd said.

Lisbon clearly wasn't operating on all cylinders not to realize he'd flashed a nifty little box at her in the midst of his grousing.

"You got a ring?" Lisbon blinked at him as the whole "I could just give you this." spiel finally penetrated her mind.

"Yes, I did." From the poop eating grin on his face, Jane intended tormenting her with it.

"Mm." She couldn't stop her eyes from flicking from his face to his pocket and back again. "You gonna show it to me?"

"You want to see it?" There went the eyebrow.

Yep, he was definitely going to torment her just like she feared. Resisting the urge to snark "Show me the damn ring all ready," Lisbon snorted indelicately while trying to play it cool instead. Jane didn't need to know there was a voice circling in her head reminding her a little too much of a certain slobbering pooch begging for faux bacon strips. He might laugh at her and she might have to gut shoot him which wouldn't be all that conducive to the longevity of their marriage.

"You want to see it?" Jane repeated in that tone always betraying he was up to something.

"Show me." Being cool was over-rated.

Definitely up to something…Like bribing her into filling out the rest of his paperwork. Fine, she'd play his game; but, having his way was going to cost him something. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Or maybe it would.

As far as she was concerned the smug bastard wasn't getting any until after the ceremony…Way after…She'd see how he liked that…Or maybe he was considering that was one hell of a ring…It couldn't be real…It was?...Jane had clearly lost his mind…He wouldn't take it back?..He seriously wanted her to have it?...She didn't know what to think except maybe she hoped he hadn't done anything questionable to get his hands on the money…Hell, she hoped he wasn't in debt for the rest of his life to pay for it…Not with a new house, renovations, and a baby coming…They'd need every cent they could get their hands on.

Who was she kidding?

Jane had probably tapped into one or two of those off shore accounts she was fairly sure he had. The one's he didn't talk about that were full of his ill gotten gains. Maybe he'd fill her in after they were married. Until then she wasn't going to pry too much and she wasn't going to worry about it.

Not when she could be watching him slip that ring on her finger instead.

"This is mine?" Lisbon stared at the ring in disbelief. He'd said he was getting her one; but, this was a little overboard. Try way overboard. "You want me to have it?"

"I've already answered that." Jane gently repeated yet again. "It's yours and I want you to have it."

That slavering voice in her head was having a field day. This was way better than a pooch getting a bacon strip. Way better. Leave it to Jane to tap into her inner girly girl who'd always dreamed of the perfect ring over some kind of stupid, floopy white dress. No one was expecting this including her.

That was what made it so wonderful.

Well, that and the fact he'd obviously invested a lot of time and effort in finding the right ring or he wouldn't have done such a great job. She didn't think he could have done any better if she'd been with him. In fact, she knew he wouldn't have. She'd have insisted on something smaller and less extravagant and missed out on _this_.

Giving her ring finger one final happy glance, Lisbon turned her attention back to the paperwork at hand. From the daggers Miss Merry Sunshine was shooting her way, they'd dragged this out too long. Quickly completing the last line, she scanned her handiwork before handing the documents over to Jane to sign. Feeling slightly dazed, she absently rubbed her ring finding it hard to believe they were finally almost done with the prepping.

Or they would be once they caught a serial killer.

Feeling Jane's hand settle against her hip as he led her out the door, Lisbon giggled softly to herself knowing only a woman in law enforcement would find such a thought remotely sane or natural.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: There are 2 chapters to go. Please bear with me. This story isn't forgotten. It just takes a little bit since I start both chapters at the same time so they feel like they belong to the same Universe before moving on to finish each chapter individually. Again, thank you for the reviews and follows. They mean alot. ~Calla

#

Settled comfortably on his couch, Jane's infectious smile was genuine. It wasn't necessary to ask if he was happy. He was, deliriously so. In ways he'd never believed possible that lone, dark night in Islamorada when he'd laid everything on the line.

Being wrong had never felt so wonderful.

The major damper he could see on the horizon was how stressed Lisbon was getting over a simple ceremony when she shouldn't be. He wasn't. Not in the least. In the big scheme of things, all that mattered was saying "I do" at the right time and filing the necessary paperwork to make it legal. Beyond that, everything else was icing on the cake. He certainly wasn't upset the Lisbon brothers were crashing their sister's wedding. Or they would be if she hadn't invited them. As it was, they were coming as guests.

He didn't need to be psychic to see that one coming and he'd expected nothing less.

Teresa needed to release her dream and accept they weren't having that quiet, solitary ceremony they'd both wanted. It wasn't possible. He'd known that from the start and he was fine with the pieces falling where they may even if Lisbon wasn't. As far as he was concerned, the event was too long in coming to let the details spoil their fun. As long as he got the girl and the happily ever after in the end, he didn't care how they went about doing it.

Besides, Lisbon seemed to have forgotten he'd grown to know that shifty lot of lovable characters pretty well on their visit. Well enough to see they were almost as good at manipulating their sister as he was and that was quite the compliment coming from him. While he liked the idea of just sneaking off and getting it done, he wasn't opposed to a tasteful dog and pony show either. He never had been.

It would give Lisbon that ethereal moment to shine as all brides should.

However, he had an idea this show wasn't going to be as small or tasteful as Lisbon hoped. He already knew from Stan and Jimmy that a good chunk of the Lisbon clan planned on coming. It was far more than she was expecting, and most likely the wilder ones, given Lisbon's luck. Oh, well, they'd fit in fine with their more colorful FBI cohorts who lived dangerously and played even harder. He didn't mind any of that either.

Carneys weren't exactly known for holding back when it came to a joyful celebration and he fully expected the Jane nuptials to be just that.

Joyful.

The only fly in the ointment he could see was his other half didn't know the guest list was swelling yet again and he wasn't about to tell her. Teresa would be even more of a nervous wreck. She was bad enough as it was and there was little he could do to help her. It was a bride thing. He'd learned that the first go around. So, that being said, Lisbon's baby brothers could handle the fallout when they finally got here since they were the cause.

He'd deal with the rest.

Like the fact things were already far more out of hand than his naïve bride-to-be could get her mind around. As discrete as they'd tried to be, word of their upcoming nuptials had spread through the Bureau like California wild fire. From what he'd gathered through the grapevine, they were going to have their fair share of party crashers. It seemed Lisbon was quite the popular girl even if she didn't know it. Somehow, he was going to have to figure out the right way to break this to her. He'd also have to reassure her none of this was that big a deal when he did.

Not to him.

She kept forgetting he was carnie. Rolling with the punches and the show going on was in his blood. He'd done it all his life. For Lisbon it wasn't so easy and he knew it. She'd much rather have a bare bones ceremony out at their place and call it done. He doubted she'd have even bothered with a wedding gown. Not since she had that really nice suit she'd bought for one of their operations with the hint of glitter and the fancy buttons she'd never worn. He'd have been fine with that. But, it wasn't happening. Neither of them was getting their wish this time around.

Things were too far gone to reel back in.

He hadn't had a whole lot of choice the first time around either. He'd been marrying into carney royalty. That came with certain obligations they'd had to fulfill. It wouldn't have done for the Ruskins to lose face among their equals. So nothing but the best was good enough for Angela even if she did have to detour by the Pokey to bail Danny out in her fancy wedding gown. That little bump in the road hadn't deterred the celebration. The party had gone on until the wee hours of the morning when they'd finally been able to steal away and make their break for it.

Sometimes he wondered if things would have remained so amiable if her family had known they planned to fly the coop after the reception and never come back. Somehow, he doubted the Ruskins would have looked kindly on losing both their princess and a big money act in one fell swoop were their plans discovered in advance. He knew better. Fortunately, hurt feelings and wounded pride had fallen by the wayside when they'd conceived Charlotte Anne. Providing that first precious grandbaby had made everything all right.

Shaking his head, Jane admitted he didn't want any of his past with Lisbon.

He was older now with a preference for keeping his private life just that. He'd learned the hard way what happened when personal matters became too public. That was part of the reason he wanted to leave consulting as much as he'd miss the chase. He needed to keep his private life private and Lisbon safe. It made perfect sense if they weren't after bad guys then the bad guys wouldn't be after them.

#

Wondering how Kimball was holding up on the dreaded Bridal Shop visit no one thought he knew about, Jane opened the door to the upscale jewelry shop he'd selected online and stepped inside. Taking a look around, he noted the single clerk and his clients standing at the counter. While none of them were paying him any attention, he was busily noting something wasn't quite right…Like maybe the fact the Clerk he now suspected was the owner was an incompetent crook…Clearly competent enough to take his marks; but, beyond inept to someone of his caliber.

Sidling up to the case, Jane scanned the contents while watching the show unfold through his peripheral vision.

Seeing the young couple getting bamboozled in front of him, Jane shook his head in seeming impatience. Nothing could be farther from the truth. He was shaking his head because the guy was bad. Not just bad, really, really bad. He could do a better French Slip in first grade. Well, he would have been able to if he'd ever been to first grade. Too bad those kids were too naïve to see what was happening right in front of their eyes.

Eyes casing the rings on the tray beneath him, Jane glance at a delicately mounted, high quality stone he knew would be to Lisbon's taste and dismissed it. The woman thought too small. While he wasn't foolish enough to buy her something tacky or tasteless hinting at assets neither of them wished to make known, Lisbon's ring still needed to be classic and memorable. As close to perfect as he thought she was. That meant it should be more traditional than ostentatious with the true value found more in the cut, color, and clarity of the stone than an impressive carat size. His fiancée would appreciate discretion as much as he did.

In the end, Lisbon's ring should be like her: understated, appealing, and priceless in ways that mattered to a man like him.

Studying first one ring and then another, Jane dismissed them as poor quality, overpriced, or too gauche to quote a special someone's rather amusing words. The list of negatives went on and one. It was clear his ring wasn't out here anywhere. That meant it was probably somewhere back there out of sight safely locked away in the stash most jewelers kept for their wives, significant others, and "special clients."

Well, he was about to become the most "special client" _his_ unsuspecting mark had ever had.

He was also leaving this quaint little shop with exactly what he wanted at exactly the price he wanted to pay or his name wasn't Patrick Jane which it definitely was. Taking a slight step forward, Jane shifted into his best serious face as he slipped into the familiar role of every crook's worst nightmare. Man did he love it when a plan came together and this one was about to come together nicely if he said so himself.

"Sir…."

Did the jackass think he'd engage without being able to deliver? It seemed he did. Well, that wasn't his problem. There was an idiot born every day. Maybe he should show him why it wasn't wise to tangle with Patrick Jane. Maybe he'd start by exposing that ring in his hand.

Yes, that sounded like a plan, and a nice one at that….

Watching the young couple depart a few minutes later, Jane turned his attention back to his quarry. Giving him a look that said it all, he let Mr. Shifty Fingers know exactly how the next few minutes were playing out with or without his cooperation. Seeing the resignation in the man's eyes, he watched him walk into the back room only to reappear with a small tray he could already see was more to his liking.

Lifting first one ring and then another he studied each diamond through the loop he pulled from his pocket. Reaching for the last plainly set stone he turned it this way and that before sliding the band on the tip of his pinky. It would definitely fit without any sizing. The color and cut were exceptional as was the clarity. While nothing as extravagant as he'd like to give her, the ring was far more than Lisbon was expecting.

He'd probably have a hell of a time convincing her to accept it; but, he'd win in the end.

"I'll take this one." Jane said quietly. "And I'll pay you this much."

Writing a figure on a scrap of paper, he offered it to the outraged Clerk.

"Take it or leave it; but, I'd consider wisely before I made my decision." Jane continued with a hint of threat in his voice. "I can still call my buddies at the FBI; but, I don't think that'll be necessary. You seem like a reasonable man. I'm offering you a fair wholesale price and we both know it. You'll still make a decent profit after your expenses. We both know that. If you pilfered this one like you just tried to take granny's ring, you'll make out like the bandit you so clearly are."

Watching the man sputter indignantly, Jane shut him down with a look.

"Fine." The man said. "I'll get the paperwork."

"Good boy." Jane watched him watching him. "But leave the ring right there in plain sight." He gestured to the tray in the case. "Lock it if you feel like it; but, I can assure you I have no intentions of absconding without paying you. My fiancée wouldn't like that."

Hearing the answering snort as the ring was safely locked away, Jane smirked knowingly. While he didn't expect to keep the ring in his clutches without paying for it, he sure as heck wasn't giving his friend over there the chance to pull the old switch-a-roo either. He didn't doubt he'd try if he let his guard down. That wasn't about to happen. It took a con to know one and he knew this one a little too well already. Watching the man's every move Jane signed his paperwork, paid for his purchase, and prepared to depart a few minutes later with his ring in hand.

Giving his diamond one last once over with his trusty loop, Jane reminded his new friend he'd be keeping an eye out for any complaints crossing his desk concerning this shop. If anything did, given what he'd already seen, he'd make damned sure his cohorts came calling…Right…He wasn't doing any such thing. He was about to get married and start a new life with the woman he loved. He seriously doubted he'd give that shop a second thought unless he wanted to make another purchase or two but shifty in there didn't need to know that.

It was better for his future clientele if he continued to think Big Brother was watching.

#

Honest to goodness, he'd forgotten what a pain in the rear getting a marriage license was. If he'd remembered, he might not have asked Lisbon to marry him. They could have lived together instead. No, he wouldn't, and, no, they couldn't. Besides, they were all but living together as it was. She spent far more time at his place than she did hers as it was. Enough so he doubted she'd ever bothered unpacking the rest of her boxes. In fact, he knew she hadn't. Anyways, while he didn't regret the proposal, he was regretting the cramps in his fingers.

Maybe, if he played his cards right, he could bribe Lisbon into completing the only part of their wedding he was reluctant to do. He just bet he could. It was worth a try. The worst that would happen was he'd end up finishing his half of the paperwork anyway. Fingering the box in his pocket, Jane groused under his breath as he filled out yet another line. He hated paperwork and he was pretty darn sure all of this had gotten worse since the last time he'd done it. Catching Lisbon's exasperated glare, he smirked knowingly at her as he flashed the black velvet box in his pocket.

"You know, I could just give you the ring and we could elope." Right, like that was seriously going to happen; but, a man could try.

"Don't be mean." Jane's smirk got wider at the thought Lisbon so didn't realize she'd just hip bumped him in a very public place. "No take-backs."

Yep, she realized it and she was seriously mortified.

Laughing softly at her angst, Jane continued gently yanking her chain deciding a riled up Lisbon was beautiful. She was beautiful all the time. But, there was something particularly appealing about her with flashing eyes and pinky cheeks. Maybe it was the realization he was living dangerously.

Lisbon could seriously wipe up the floor with him without even trying.

"People are coming." Jane knew the gleam in his eyes was egging Lisbon's righteous indignation to higher levels. "So, we're getting married, damn it."

He laughed yet again at the imaginary "Got it?" she tacked on the end.

"Suit yourself." Jane said wondering how long it was going to take his pink cheeked bride-to-be to process the rest of what he'd said.

Lisbon clearly wasn't operating on all cylinders not to realize he'd flashed a nifty little box at her in the midst of his grousing.

"You got a ring?" Lisbon blinked at him as the whole "I could just give you this." spiel finally penetrated her mind.

"Yes, I did." He flashed the box again to torment her.

"Mm." She couldn't stop her eyes from flicking from his face to his pocket and back again. "You gonna show it to me?

"You want to see it?" Jane shoved his paperwork in Lisbon's direction knowing she would read between the lines.

"Show me." From the dangerous tone she'd gotten his drift and didn't like it one bit.

If he didn't miss his guess, Lisbon was contemplating making him sleep on the couch until Hell froze over. Well, contemplate away. He wasn't worried about it. He had ways of weakening her resolve. Ways that didn't fail.

Turning his attention back to the matter at hand, Jane did as he was commanded opening the box to expose the brilliant within.

Listening to Lisbon sputtering over the ring costing too much, Jane came to a realization he should have come to a long time ago. He needed to sit Lisbon down and let her know the score and he needed to do it soon. Try on the way back to office. It would put her mind at ease to know they never had to worry about anything.

Not if they both left the FBI.

He'd made a lot of money in his other life and invested wisely when investing was good. That meant he had those hidden accounts she'd always suspected he had. Most smart carneys did since they never knew when they'd need that quick get-away. It didn't hurt in the final analysis that he hadn't touched them in the years since his family's murder. Not a one except for that small mad money account he'd closed to finance his brief exile on a tropical island. It hadn't been necessary.

His compensation from the CBI had more than covered his needs.

While he wasn't filthy by any means, Lisbon would be shocked to learn his recent purchases including the estimated renovations had barely dented their considerable assets. She'd also be shocked to learn, if things had played out as he'd expected them to, she'd have suddenly found herself a very wealthy woman by her standards. His, not so much since he'd swam in the ocean with really big sharks. But, he wouldn't deny they could live well without either of them hitting a lick at a snake for the rest of their lives and leave their children comfortably set if they had any.

He really needed to discuss that possibly with Lisbon as well; but, he'd wait until after the ceremony.

The last thing she needed was something else to worry about. She wasn't handling things well as it was. His Lisbon didn't cry, not really, and she'd already done that more than once. She got pissed, fiesty, and mouthy or she went boom for a while at the Shooting Range. What she didn't do was cry. He needed to look into that after the ceremony. If he started poking and prodding right now he'd upset her and neither of them would be very happy. Filing that thought away for another day, Jane pulled the ring from the box and slipped it on her finger.

It wasn't like he needed to propose again.

"This is mine?" Staring at the ring on her finger, all Lisbon could think was, yeah, Jane had said he was getting her a ring; but, this was definitely overboard. "You want me to have it?"

"I've already answered that." Jane gently repeated yet again. "So, yes, it's yours and I want you to have it."

Like you already have my life, my heart and my soul; but, he wasn't saying that yet.

He'd save such sentiments for the ceremony.

Leaning in to drop a kiss on her forehead, Jane decided to help Lisbon finish the paperwork she was already reaching for. He had every idea she wanted to get it done so she could get back to the SUV to admire her ring in private. It didn't help the Clerk from the Darkside was shooting them looks that said they'd overstayed their welcome. Deciding they'd best get things done, Jane scribbled his signature on a couple of pages before sliding another sheet from beneath Lisbon's hand. Turning to observe her in action, he couldn't help thinking happiness suited her. Suddenly, getting back to the SUV sounded like a very good idea.

With any luck she'd give him the kind of kiss a rock like that deserved when they did.

With any luck he could talk her into detouring by her place on the way back to Headquarters.

With any luck she'd let him show her in private exactly what that ring so very publicly declared to the world.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting. RL has been a bit of a bear for the past couple of months.~Calla

#

Watching the beloved idiots otherwise known as friends and family cavorting across the way, Lisbon snuggled a little closer to Jane. As much as she loved that whole crazy crew, she was grateful for their few stolen moments of much needed privacy. The "reception" had quickly grown too much considering she'd never really wanted it in the first place. That being said, they didn't have long before they'd be forced to make their much anticipated reappearance. One of her brothers would make sure of that.

There was still a cake to cut and bubbly to drink and that couldn't happen without their runaway bride and groom.

Not that she'd be having any of the latter…Cake, yeah, champagne, not so much…Jane would croak if she so much as sniffed the bubbles.

"How you feeling?"

Lisbon wasn't even sure who'd asked that or even why. The answer should be obvious. If it wasn't, they were in serious trouble already.

"I am so happy."

Her life was a joyous blur.

"Me, too."

She didn't really need to know who was saying what as long as they answered appropriately.

"Me, too."

Leave it to Jane to spoil her mindless daze.

"Look at that…" Her husband nodded in the direction of the platform across the way clearly ignoring the very Lisbonesque roll of her eyes in a way he wouldn't necessarily have done in the past.

"Yeah, well, what else is new?" Lisbon smirked torn between silently snarking Jane was in for a rude awakening if he was dumb enough to take things for granted now he had that ring on her finger and wishing she had her camera on her. "My brothers are partying fools."

Then again, not having one really didn't matter. Grace had hers. She'd send more than a few photos her way. Lisbon already knew there'd be quite a few blackmail worthy moments by the time she finished reviewing the "evidence". She was watching those very events unfold with every passing moment and the one thing she could say with clarity was no one was waiting for the bride and groom to hit the bar.

What else was new?

Leopards didn't change their spots or tigers their stripes. Her wild and wooly brothers would never change their mantra of letting the good times roll. They wouldn't have crashed her wedding with a good chunk of the whacked out Lisbon Clan if they had.

They'd have let her have the private ceremony she'd wanted instead.

But, no, they'd had to play the guilt card and force her hand and she'd been guillable enough to give in. As much as she wanted to punch Jimmy and Stan in the face, she was glad they were here. She truly was. A girl shouldn't get married without her family present…Even if she'd really wanted to… Not the one time in her life she was doing it.

Jane so better not mess this up or she'd kill him…She would, too. ..She just wasn't quite sure how at the moment or where she'd hide the body if she did….

Not that she expected any such thing. Jane was smarter than that. He'd been through too much to get them here and he really, truly loved her. There wasn't a doubt about that.

Enough said.

"They're having fun." Jane reminded her. "As they should at a wedding."

"They're always having fun." Lisbon fought the butterflies in her belly. "That doesn't change the fact they're still idjits and I mean that in the nicest possible way."

She did, too.

Jimmy and Stan were her brothers and she loved them dearly. She always had even when she wasn't speaking to them. Well, actually, she hadn't spoken to one or the other of her brothers at different times more than once. But, she wasn't going there right now. The situations were stupid and should never have happened. But, they had, and now they were over. Like with all families, there were just times they couldn't figure out what made the other tick. Shaking her head, Lisbon decided discussing her brothers was the last thing she wanted to do at the moment.

She had other things to talk about and now was as good a time as any.

"There's something I need to tell you." Feeling the words seize in her throat, Lisbon instinctively brought her palm to rest against her tummy instead.

Seeing the disbelief in Jane's eyes, Lisbon wasn't all that surprised he wasn't exactly getting it. She hadn't exactly "gotten it" those first few minutes either. Actually, probably those first few days or maybe weeks. Truthfully, it didn't seem possible and yet it was. Very possible and she had the paperwork to prove it.

"No, you're…." Jane clearly couldn't get his mind around what he was seeing. "You're kidding me."

He seemed to think she so wasn't saying what he thought she was.

"I'm not kidding."

Did he seriously think she'd kid about having a kid?

"You are?"

He was starting to believe her from the tentative smile curving his lips.

"I am."

The sound of his laughter was music to her ears. Jane didn't have to say he was happy. She could see it in his face and feel it in his kiss.

"Do your brother's know?" Jane asked quietly. "No?"

"What do you think?" Lisbon asked. "Don't you think the father should be the first to know?"

Nodding his head, Jane agreed with her. The father should be the first to know, after the mother of course.

"You knew when I asked you to marry me." Jane stated firmly. "You had to."

Her knowing would explain a lot.

Like the fact she hadn't freaked out she was acting strange in ways that didn't make sense. That in itself was plenty weird without the rest of it. Forget her crying over their wedding at the drop of a hat and the weepy messes coming after. He'd found her getting all teary eyed over such trivial matters out of character at the time and dismissed her emotions as pre-wedding jitters.

With hindsight, the idea of Lisbon having pre-wedding jitters was about as ridiculous as the rest of it had been.

It certainly wasn't the woman he'd known for years. Lisbon was tougher than. He knew for a fact he'd put her through far worse over the years and she hadn't batted an eyelash. Offered to kick his ass…Oh, yeah, she'd done that a time or two…But cry?

Not her style.

No way.

Not Teresa Lisbon Jane.

He'd known something was wrong. He'd chosen not to pursue her aberrant behavior deciding discretion was the better part of valor. Actually, he'd feared he might hear something he didn't want to know like she was reconsidering tying her destiny to his. He wouldn't have blamed her for that. Not really.

Messing around with a Jane was one thing.

Marrying one was a horse of a different color.

"Yeah, I knew." Lisbon agreed. "But that's not why I said yes."

She hoped against hope he wasn't thinking that.

"I never thought it was." Jane reassured her knowing his words were true. If there was one thing he knew, it was that Lisbon was fully capable of raising a child by herself. She'd never have agreed to marry him unless she wanted to. She didn't need him although he couldn't say the same. "You were waiting for the right moment to tell me and you couldn't have picked a better one."

From his tone and the open look on his face, Lisbon knew Jane wasn't going to confront her about the other reason she'd kept her secret. It wasn't necessary. He'd finally accepted she was FBI and everything that came with it before finally asking her to marry him. He'd told her as much after the fact. He also hadn't blamed her for wanting to help bring Keller down. She needed that closure. He'd understood that as well.

The monster had almost destroyed their happiness.

Whether he'd have felt differently had he known what was growing inside her was water under the bridge now. What was done was done and everything had worked out perfectly. Jane wouldn't chastise her stupidity now.

"I was." Lisbon nodded. "This isn't the kind of thing you just spring on someone."

"No, it isn't; but, I'm glad you did." Jane laughed softly. "You do know I was going to discuss this possibility with you anyway?"

"What possibility is that?" Lisbon asked knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"Expanding our family when the time was right." Jane continued. "And how you'd feel about it. Maybe not quite this soon; but, not that far down the road either."

"I hadn't given the idea much thought." She hadn't given it any thought. "While I'm not sure what I'd have said, I do think I'd have considered it." She'd have more than considered it given how she felt about Jane. "All that really matters is I'm happy now."

"I'm not sure happy is big enough to describe it." Jane voiced what they both thinking. "Do you want to tell the rest of them now?"

"I'd like to tell my brothers first." Lisbon said. "Then I'd like to tell the team before we tell everyone else."

She just wasn't exactly who she meant by the "team" and how she wanted to go about telling them at all. Did she mean Cho, Abbott, and Wiley then Grace and Wayne? Or would she tell Grace, Wayne and Cho first followed by Abbott and Wiley? Or maybe she'd just tell them all individually since she wasn't sure she could differentiate between her CBI and FBI families.

Maybe it wouldn't matter anyways.

She had a feeling everyone would know the minute she told her brothers anyway. Jimmy would probably squeal like a girl and Stan wouldn't be much better. Not really; but, it would be almost as bad. Suffice it to say, her secret wouldn't be a secret any more. She was sure of it.

They were probably still reeling she'd made it through the actual ceremony anyways.

Finding out Jane had managed to knock her up before the fact would be icing on the cake and something they'd likely never let her live down. Yep, she could forget telling the team. Her brothers would do it for her.

Tell the team and everyone else.

"Scrap the whole telling anyone after my brothers." Lisbon said. "I have a feeling Jimmy and Stan will handle that for us."

"You may be right." From the look on his face, Jane wasn't sure how he felt about that. "I have a feeling we're both going to get some razzing for not being more circumspect."

"If we're lucky, that's all we'll get." Hopefully, Jane wouldn't get a little brotherly love. "I might be over the age of consent and the oldest…."

"But, you're still the only girl." Jane finished not all that worried about the situation. "While that might present a problem, I think you can handle the boys."

If she couldn't, he could run like hell.

"Yeah, I probably can; but, I don't have to do it right now." Lisbon proclaimed ignoring Jane's inquisitively raised brow. "We have other things to discuss instead."

Like where the nursery was going and if they should move into her place until after the renovations were done…She wasn't about to try moving around that RV when she was the size of a constipated moose…And after the baby was born, they weren't even discussing that…Jane had so better have that house done….

Crap, from the amused look her other half was giving her, she must have spoken her concerns aloud.

"I'd say the nursery is going beside our room." Jane said quietly suddenly understanding why she hadn't given notice on her place as he'd expected her to do some weeks ago. "As for the rest of it, where would we go except your place if we left? It doesn't make sense to go anywhere else although I'd suggest spending most of our time out here as long as we can." How else was he supposed to easily oversee the renovations? He certainly didn't want to drive out from town. "I think we'll be through with most of the work long before that happens."

Thanks to the fact Jand had already hired a contractor and his sizable crew. Something he thought she didn't know. Well she did thanks to overhearing a call she wasn't meant to hear. Jane wasn't the only one who could be sneaky when the need arose.

"Is that a promise?" Lisbon quirked a brow at him questioning.

"More like an order." Jane laughed at her condescending nod.

"Yeah, I think it is." Lisbon agreed.

While she knew he'd never intended to do the renovations on his own, not once he'd really thought about the scope of the job, she did know he'd intended overseeing the operations and lending a hand where needed. But, those plans had changed. Yes, he'd be involved as he wanted, just not as much as he'd initially hoped. From what he'd said recently, Jane had decided against completely abandoning his day job now that he'd accepted she wasn't leaving the FBI any time soon.

He'd decided keeping his finger in the pie consulting on special cases made a lot more sense.

Or it had.

Now, she had a feeling his plans were changing yet again. For one thing, his intent to loiter and take his time with the house while she did the cop thing had quickly passed in the blink of an eye and a palm to the belly. Now he was hoping she'd reconsider the whole 'little woman carrying really big guns scenario' and find carrying a baby bottle more to her liking instead. She wasn't making any promises one way or the other.

Nor was she apologizing for knocking his socks off a lot lately.

Truthfully, she was rather enjoying keeping Jane as off balance as he'd kept her for most of their relationship. Even if he didn't like it very much. Well, he didn't have to. He did have to get used to it. Now that she was scoring a point here and there, she didn't intend letting Jane get the upper hand any time soon. If she had her way, she'd know the sex of their child before he did. She wasn't quite sure how she was pulling that off; but, she was fairly certain it could be done.

Especially if her doctor cooperated.

Catching Jane's eye, Lisbon could tell he knew she was up to something. But, while he had an idea what she was plotting, Jane didn't really know. He didn't have to. All he had to do was adore her like he already did. Oh, and let her score every once in a while. It wasn't like he could win all the time.

Then again, from the self satisfied glint in his eyes, maybe he thought he already had.


	8. Chapter 8

Resting his chin against Lisbon's head, Jane spared a glance at their happily undulating guests. As much fun as the dancers were having, he had a feeling his joy far surpassed theirs. His life couldn't get any better than it was at the moment. What could possibly top a few stolen moments with his newly minted bride in their lush, green hidey-hole far away from prying eyes? Well, honestly, not all _that_ far, but far enough he could indulge in kiss swollen lips without ribald comments from friends and relatives he'd prefer not dwell on their sex life.

"There's something I need to tell you."

Leave it to Lisbon to spoil the moment. Especially given those weren't exactly words he wanted to hear from the woman he'd just married mere moments after finishing the ceremony. Well, maybe not _moments_; but, close enough. Added to that, Lisbon's tone was hardly reassuring.

And his thoughts were unsettlingly jumbled considering his living, and in some cases, his very life depended on his mental acumen.

Quickly cataloguing his most recent actions, Jane hadn't a clue what was happening. Or what he could have possibly done wrong. He'd tried to be on his best behavior and was positive he'd succeeded admirably considering he was him. 'Surely the honeymoon isn't over before it's begun.' flickered across his brain as his gaze was captured by Lisbon's palm resting tenderly against her belly.

Eyes widening subtly; the thought his wife wasn't saying what he thought she was flashed briefly through Jane's mind. It wasn't possible. Lisbon couldn't have deceived him so thoroughly. He was a Mentalist for goodness sakes. He'd have noticed something was amiss long before now. He was sure of it. There was no way knocking his girlfriend up would have escaped him. Not possible. Then again, Lisbon had been proving unpredictable for quite some time. As much as he loathed admitting it, she'd gotten a few things over on him lately.

If she'd succeeded with this one, she was even better than he'd thought!

Catching her eye, Jane felt like a fool.

For some strange reason, he couldn't get his mouth to form the words he wanted to ask. Nothing beyond a rather stunned, "You are?"

Not at all what he'd wanted to say or how he'd hoped to say it.

Watching her smile affirmatively, Jane's mind flooded with the thought only Teresa Lisbon Jane could top the happiest moment in his life with an even happier one. She was probably the only person in existence capable of genuinely shocking him without meaning to and shock him she had. He couldn't have seen this one coming in a million years. Well, maybe he could have; but, he didn't.

All he could really think was a certain conversation wasn't necessary after all.

Not since there was already a Baby Jane on the way.

Wow.

Whoo Hoo!

His little guys had done the job even when he hadn't known they were doing it! Thank God Lisbon didn't seem to mind or he'd be nose deep in the stinky stuff! Not the best place for a newlywed to be! Man, he hadn't thought it possible to get any higher than the moment they'd been pronounced man and wife and he'd kissed his bride.

Or she'd kissed him.

He wasn't really sure who did what and when beyond that was one hell of a smackeroo he'd never wanted to end and it almost hadn't.

Not for a good long time and he wasn't complaining. Maybe he was. Not about the kiss. Just about not being able to finish what they'd started. Not any time soon anyway…There'd been way too many witnesses…Not to mention, Lisbon would have probably bopped him if he tried…And he was getting seriously off track here….

Anyways, he'd been wrong.

It was possible, very possible, to get a bazillion notches higher on the happy meter.

All he'd needed was that universal gesture so easily recognized to catapult him to paradise.

While he'd never admit it, this was better than when Angela announced she was carrying Charlotte Anne. As shocking as he'd found that realization, it wasn't as strange as it sounded. It wasn't Angela's words that had surprised him. It was more that their desires had finally come to pass. Back in the day, he'd been expecting the happy news eventually. It wasn't like they hadn't been trying for a while. Not that long really. But, past what he'd found acceptable for a young, healthy couple ready to start their family. Of course that probably meant two or three months in their universe. No, if he remembered correctly, it was more like a half a year. Still very normal in the real world.

Things were different with Lisbon.

Those were the last words he'd expected to pass her lips. They hadn't been trying for anything. Making up for lost time, yeah, he'd give her that. Every change they got. Grasping at keeping what they had for as long as they had it. Ditto. But planting a seed and starting a family?

No way.

With hindsight, they'd been much too careless in their coming together considering neither expected anything beyond what they currently had. Well, in spite of her words to the contrary, Lisbon had and he'd known it. What he hadn't known was exactly what he wanted or how he'd bring it all together when he finally did.

For a moment Jane wanted to smack himself stupid. Yes, it took two to Tango. But, he was far more responsible for their current predicament than Lisbon was. He'd kept her off kilter from the start with his shenanigans. No wonder she hadn't been her usual responsible self. Nor had he for that matter. Not that she appeared that concerned about it. In fact, she looked about as happy as he felt. A good thing considering she was the one who'd suffer through most of the unpleasantness. The Delivery Room, however, might even the playing field. Somehow, he had a feeling Lisbon would make him pay and pay well before their kid was born.

He'd worry about that when the day came.

Until then, he'd just be happy.

Giving her a slanty eyed look, Jane smirked imaging Lisbon rounding out like a baby beluga whale. She'd be beautiful and very desirable. There was just something about a pregnant woman that lit his fire, _his_ pregnant woman anyway. But, he wasn't stupid enough to tell her that. Nope, he wasn't that dumb at all. He'd wait until the day came and make sure he did his "I did that" happy dance in private.

He'd be in the dog house if he didn't.

Anyways, he wasn't too worried about any of this. In fact, he was pretty pleased with this newest turn of events. Life was proving yet again it had a way of answering the questions he'd been afraid to ask.

Like Lisbon's place in his life.

Fortunately, he'd reached the proper conclusion to that one on his own. The bonds of love had been strong enough to overcome his doubts and fears in the end. However, if it hadn't been, her pregnancy would have turned the tide.

He could never leave his child if he wanted which he didn't.

Not because of the child; because of Lisbon. He loved her more than anything. If he hadn't, there wouldn't be a Baby Jane. Jane wondered briefly if they were having a son or a daughter. Not that it really mattered. While a boy would be great, a girl would be better. He already knew how to be a little girl's Daddy.

He'd done it before.

"How far along?" He couldn't help nuzzling her cheek. "Do you know yet?"

"You mean you don't?" Lisbon teased nuzzling him back. "I expected better of you."

"I didn't even know you were pregnant." Jane reluctantly admitted. "But, if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say about six or seven weeks. Still early enough there aren't any notable changes if one isn't looking and long enough for you to notice something wasn't as it should be."

"You'd hazard right." Lisbon agreed marveling her doctor had spoken almost the exact same words. "I'm surprised you'd admit it."

"Why?" Jane asked. "I'd have started noticing the signs in a week or two."

He would have already if he'd been looking for them. He hadn't been. If he had, he'd have figured out Lisbon had missed at least one cycle and he hadn't. He'd been too caught up in Vega's death and the aftermath to notice much of anything. In fact, he'd been out of town staring at a big hole in the earth a good part of the time when he should have been home figuring out Lisbon was cooking up an earth shattering surprise.

"You probably would have." Lisbon agreed. "So, what do you think?"

"About the baby?" Jane asked. "What do you think?"

"I think you're happy." Lisbon placed his hand against her tummy. "I know I am."

"Ecstatic." Jane agreed kissing her. "I also think we're having a girl."

"Can it." Lisbon sniped. "It's too early for all of that. Besides, I want a boy."

"Maybe we'll both get what we want." Jane smirked lightly knowing she would likely pound him for his next words. "We could have twins."

While Lisbon's age increased that possibility, he wasn't reminding her of that. He wasn't about to tell her he had a hinky feeling he might be right. She'd castrate him for his trouble.

"Don't even go there." Lisbon shot him a dirty look. "I'm not sure I could handle three Baby Janes."

Not the least bothered by his wife's insulting his maturity; Jane was surprised to realize the possibility didn't bother him at all.

He'd just have more to love.

"Seriously, my doctor mentioned that might happen; but, I don't want to worry about it unless we have to." Lisbon admitted. "They'd be fraternals if we did; but, it's way too early to know."

"There's nothing to worry about if we do." Jane corrected her. "I was teasing you anyway. Whatever happens, we'll get through. It's not like we haven't had years to get to know each other."

Or become best friends and lovers.

He meant what he said; he wasn't worried about anything the future held. Except maybe how his newly acquired "brothers" were going to react to the news he'd gotten Lisbon pregnant before they got married. Yeah, they were modern guys; but, it was their only sister he was talking about. The one they obviously adored and looked up to.

At the very least he'd have to endure a few uncomfortable moments and some off color ribbing which was a small price to pay considering what he'd gained. At the worst, he might get a punch or two out of the mix. But, he doubted it. They'd probably just be happy their Big Sis was happy and leave it that. The Lisbon boys were fairly laid back all things considered and he seriously doubted his wife would allow them to rough up the father of her child.

He could certainly run like heck if they tried.

While Jane was confident the family issues were under control, he wasn't as sure about the house issues in spite recently hiring a very experienced crew. Considering everything they had to get done, even under their best case scenario, the estimated time of completion would be cutting it close without any delays. For one thing, although he'd already told Lisbon the nursery would go beside their room, he'd have to consult with his architect concerning the unexpected change. For another, they might need to add another couple of rooms if their bundle of joy suddenly morphed into two. Despite his reassurances, there were too many variables out of his control to be sure this rabbit would make it out of the hat on cue.

Then again, he wasn't all that worried since they had a workable backup plan in place without really trying.

As Lisbon had already said, they'd divide their time between her place and the RV at the home sight until her belly got in the way. At that point, they'd abandon the tin can until after the baby was born which made a lot more sense in the long run anyway. Lisbon's place was clean, comfortable and closer to work, her doctors, and the hospital. Why mess with a good thing if he didn't have to? She had a spare room that was perfect for the nursery and she was already settled in. It wasn't like anything was all that different from the way it had always been.

Well, maybe one thing or possibly two….

Catching Lisbon's eye, Jane answered her cocky grin with a satisfied grin of his own. She was a little too brashly self confident for his tastes right now. She'd pulled a big one over on him and she was savoring her triumph for all it was worth. Enjoying her victory a little too much for his comfort level. No biggie.

He'd let her enjoy it while she could.

She didn't know what he knew having done this before.

Right now Lisbon was ecstatic she'd finally won the game and she had, too. She'd certainly made him do something he'd never believed possible after losing Angela and Charlotte Anne. Become a husband and father again. While he knew it was true, it still felt surreal for both of them. That would change soon enough as would Lisbon's victorious stance… Especially in the midst of those more trying times he knew were coming… But, he'd let Lisbon have her fun and not burst any bubbles.

Not yet and not when he didn't have too.

He'd let life and their kid do it instead.

Fortunately for both of them, he already knew Baby Janes were worth every trifling annoyance.


End file.
